'It’s a huge experience for these kids': Canada’s World Cup appearance entices younger fans to watch
Canada’s gut-wrenching loss to Morocco at the FIFA World Cup may have left a bitter taste for Canadian soccer fans on Thursday, but it also shined a light on the future of soccer in Canada.
Hoping to witness Canada claim its’ first-ever point at the Men’s World Cup, close to 300 students packed the gymnasium at St. Timothy Catholic Elementary School in Kitchener.
Kids from Kindergarten to Grade 7 we’re on-hand for the game, supporting a team that hadn’t qualified for the World Cup since long before they were born.
“When my dad was 11, that was the last time [Canada] made the World Cup,” Grade 4 student Tiago Martins told CTV News.
Martins has been playing soccer since the age of two. He says watching Canada play in Qatar drives him to reach the highest level.
“I’ve always wanted to be a professional,” Martins said.
Former St. Timothy student, David Edgar, has a long history of representing Canada on the world stage. The 35-year-old played for Canada during both 2010 and 2014 World Cup qualifying.
The long-time pro joined Thursday’s watch party at St. Timothy and hosted a Q&A with the students during halftime.
“I think it’s a huge experience for these kids to grow up and wear that maple leaf with pride,” Edgar said.
Edgar has noticed more kids are interested in soccer than when he was their age. He adds that the fanbase will continue to grow if the national program keeps improving.
“People ask why there were no Canadian fans. It’s because we weren’t that successful. Now the team’s successful and the fans will come because the fans have always been here,” Edgar said.
St. Timothy’s faculty has seen the fanbase grow first-hand. School teacher Justin Carvalho said the passion for soccer has been there all along.
“[The students] have been asking ‘what’s the score, can we watch a little bit of the game?’ There was already such an energy and enthusiasm,” Carvalho said.
Canada will return to the World Cup in 2026 as a host country.
Looking at the future of the national program, Edgar said it’s not just about four years from now, but 40 years.
“What’s the longevity of the program? Where are we going next with it?” Edgar asked. “You’ve got kids here in this gym that hopefully can look and be the next Alphonso Davies.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Woman detained in Syria says Ottawa is forcing her to make agonizing choice in order to get her kids to Canada
A woman held in a detention camp in Syria, along with her three Canadian children, says the federal government is forcing her to make an agonizing choice: relinquish custody of her kids so they can be repatriated to Canada, or keep them in the camp where the conditions are dire. Her children are eligible for repatriation but she is not a Canadian citizen.
Loblaw ends No Name price freeze, vows 'flat' pricing 'wherever possible'
Loblaw will not be extending its price freeze on No Name brand products, but vows to keep the yellow label product-pricing flat 'wherever possible.'
opinion
opinion | Don Martin: Trudeau meets the moment – and ducks for cover
Based on Justin Trudeau's first-day fail in the House of Commons, 'meeting the moment' is destined to become the most laughable slogan since the elder Pierre Trudeau’s disastrous campaign rallying cry in 1972, which insisted 'the land is strong' just as the economy tanked.
Tyre Nichols case shows officers still fail to intervene
More disciplinary action may be coming now that the harrowing video of Tyre Nichols' treatment has been released. The Memphis police department is among many U.S. law enforcement agencies with 'duty to intervene' policies. Memphis police relieved two other officers of duty Monday and say the department is still investigating what happened.
Family in remote northern Ont. reeling after daughter killed in fire, home destroyed
A family in the remote First Nation community in Peawanuck, Ont., is dealing not only with the death of their young daughter, but the loss of everything they owned in a Jan. 28 house fire.
How did a radioactive capsule go missing in Australia and how dangerous is it?
Australian authorities are mounting an extensive search for a tiny radioactive capsule believed to have fallen out of a road train that travelled 1,400 km in Western Australia. Here's what you need to know:
Southern Ring Nebula's 'messy death' due to more than one star, researchers discover
Researchers were able to determine how the Southern Ring Nebula was created and understand how more than one star led to its 'messy death' by reconstructing the scene that happened thousands of years earlier.
As B.C. decriminalizes hard drugs, users still face months-long waits for treatment
As the B.C. government decriminalizes small amounts of hard drugs, critics note there are still not enough treatment resources for the users seeking them.
Toronto man sentenced to more than 8 years after pleading guilty in 2 violent sexual assault cold cases
A 33-year-old Toronto man has been sentenced to eight and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to two violent sexual assaults almost a decade ago.
London
-
"You're not supposed to appear in uniform at a public meeting like that": Planning, research consultant
London Police Service Chief Steve Williams says an investigation is being conducted after a member of the police service appeared at City Hall in uniform to express opposition to a proposed development.
-
London neighbours slam more infill developments
While Londoners have generally united behind The London Plan’s philosophy that the city must slow sprawl through intensification, delivering on that promise is fueling division.On Monday, a pair of higher-density developments became the latest test of council’s commitment to intensification.
-
Loblaw ends No Name price freeze, vows 'flat' pricing 'wherever possible'
Loblaw will not be extending its price freeze on No Name brand products, but vows to keep the yellow label product-pricing flat 'wherever possible.'
Windsor
-
Warning over porch pirate targeting LaSalle homes: police
LaSalle police are asking the public to be on the lookout for porch pirates after reports of two recent thefts.
-
Cause is 'undetermined' after LaSalle fire
LaSalle fire officials say the cause of a house fire is listed as undetermined.
-
Windsor police conducting active attacker training with EMS
Windsor police are informing the public about “active attacker training” taking place on Tuesday.
Barrie
-
Police seeking for witnesses to fatal crash in Bradford
The South Simcoe Police are looking for witnesses and information following a fatal crash Friday that took the life of a 40-year-old Bradford man.
-
A shot in the arm is required for students' regular vaccines
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) is partnering with local school boards to offer school-based immunization clinics at Simcoe Muskoka secondary schools during February and March.
-
Barrie police officer pleads guilty to assault charge
Jason Stamp, a former Barrie police officer, has pleaded guilty to assault of skateboarder.
Northern Ontario
-
Ontario woman shocked she has to pay for car repairs after hit-and-run collision
An Ontario woman said she was shocked when she had to pay for repairs after her car was struck from behind by a pick-up truck and the driver fled the scene of the collision.
-
Girl, 6, dies after T-bar lift incident at Quebec ski resort
A six-year-old girl died in hospital Sunday night after being involved in an incident at the Val-Saint-Côme ski resort in Lanaudiere. Quebec police are investigating, though details into the event are not yet known. Officers indicated that it involved a T-bar lift, but they were not able to say more.
-
Blind River man charged again in ongoing neighbour dispute
Charges are being laid for the third time in connection with an ongoing dispute between northern Ontario neighbours, police say.
Ottawa
-
Man killed, woman injured in south Ottawa stabbing
A 45-year-old man was killed and a woman was hospitalized in a stabbing at south end apartment overnight, police said.
-
Patients left in lurch after Orleans doctors plan to close practices
Patients of an east Ottawa clinic say they've been left in the lurch after learning they would need to find new family doctors because their doctors were closing their medical practices.
-
Two serious crashes on Ottawa roads Tuesday morning
Emergency crews had to extricate people from vehicles in two separate crashes in Ottawa on Tuesday morning.
Toronto
-
Jeopardy! dedicates entire category to Ontario but one question stumps every contestant
Jeopardy! turned the spotlight on Ontario on Monday night with a category entirely dedicated to the province. One question stumped every contestant.
-
Toronto man sentenced to more than 8 years after pleading guilty in 2 violent sexual assault cold cases
A 33-year-old Toronto man has been sentenced to eight and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to two violent sexual assaults almost a decade ago.
-
Pearson Airport hosts job fair as air travel in Toronto comes 'roaring back'
More than 2,000 people registered for a job fair at Toronto Pearson Airport following nearly three years of turbulence in the travel sector brought on by COVID-19.
Montreal
-
Quebec's efforts to hire nurses from abroad falling short
After failing to recruit hundreds of orderlies internationally, Francois Legault's government is now dangling the same solution to the nursing shortage. If the past is any indication of the future, the chances are slim that Quebec will see thousands of professional nurses coming to the rescue of the health-care system.
-
WEATHER
WEATHER | Polar vortex to bring coldest air in years to parts of Quebec
So far, the winter season across Southwestern Quebec has been marked by above-average snowfall and above-average temperatures, but that is about to change. Cold, arctic air has been gradually pushing into the province.
-
Family of man killed while unlawfully detained in Montreal jail wants surveillance video released
The family of a Montreal man who died after he was seriously injured by jail guards while he was illegally detained is calling for surveillance video of the incident to be released publicly. 'It is our understanding that the footage has been reviewed – and is extremely disturbing. But that is more reason to release the video footage immediately,' said the CCLA's Akwasi Owusu-Bempah.
Atlantic
-
911 issues fixed in the Maritimes following Tuesday morning outage
911 emergency calling in all three Maritime provinces has been fixed following service issues Tuesday morning.
-
Highway 103 reopen near Hubbards, N.S., after single-vehicle collision
Officers with the Halifax District RCMP responded to a single-vehicle collision on Highway 103 Tuesday morning.
-
Moncton fire battles fourth structure fire in a week
The Moncton Fire Department responded to a house fire Tuesday morning, marking the fourth structure fire the city has seen over the past week.
Winnipeg
-
Manitoba First Nation to sign child welfare agreement with Ottawa, province
Peguis First Nation is set to become the first Indigenous group in Manitoba to take control of child welfare under federal legislation that came into effect three years ago.
-
'We don't turn anyone away': How organizations are helping Winnipeg's most vulnerable during cold snap
An extreme cold warning is in effect for Winnipeg, and as temperatures dip to dangerous levels, some shelters are at – or even over – capacity.
-
Extreme cold to continue for rest of the week in Manitoba
For anyone looking for a break from the frigid Manitoba cold, you may have to wait another few days.
Calgary
-
Alleged driver in crash west of Calgary that killed 2 teens to appear in court in February
The court case for a teenage girl accused of being behind the wheel in a crash that killed her younger sister and a friend has been adjourned until February.
-
Search underway for Calgary senior last seen in Marlborough Park
The Calgary Police Service is asking Calgarians to keep an eye out for a 76-year-old man who went missing Monday afternoon.
-
Highway 560 reopened between Calgary and Langdon, 'multiple vehicles in ditch'
A section of highway between Calgary and Langdon was closed to traffic during Tuesday morning's commute after multiple vehicles left the road.
Edmonton
-
Calgary, Toronto men arrested in series of Land Rover thefts in Edmonton; 1 still wanted by police
Men from Calgary and the Greater Toronto Area have been charged in a rash of thefts of newer Land Rovers in Edmonton and police are looking for a third person.
-
'Disturbing': Smith promises change after Edmonton bus damaged, rider threatened with ice pick
A 20-year-old man has been arrested and charged after police say he caused more than $5,000 worth of damage to an Edmonton Transit Bus and threatened a female passenger, acts that drew condemnation from Alberta's premier.
-
Nature Conservancy of Canada purchases land for protection in southern Alberta
A property that includes fescue grasslands, forests and wetlands near Waterton Lakes National Park in southern Alberta has been purchased by the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
Vancouver
-
Illicit drug death toll surpasses 2,000 in B.C. for a 2nd consecutive year
British Columbia lost 2,272 lives to illicit drugs in 2022, new data released by the BC Coroners Service shows.
-
Comox man who broke into former partner's home and assaulted her to serve full sentence: B.C. Court of Appeal
A B.C. Supreme Court judge has dismissed a man's appeal for a shorter sentence after he was convicted of breaking into a former partner's home and seriously assaulting her in early 2020.
-
'Door indication signal' forces Air Canada flight to land shortly after YVR takeoff
An Air Canada flight out of Vancouver International Airport was forced to land shortly after takeoff Monday afternoon when the pilots discovered a "door indication signal," according to the airline.